Pete Marchetto
@petemarchetto.bsky.social
Boomer postpatriot Englishman, freelance writer in expat recovery (from China), of the social-democratic centre now deemed 'far left', Green Party member. Free sample ebook of short stories at:
https://petemarchetto290688881.wordpress.com/
🇬🇧 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 🇬🇪 🇪🇺 🏳️🌈
https://petemarchetto290688881.wordpress.com/
🇬🇧 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 🇬🇪 🇪🇺 🏳️🌈
Pinned
Pete Marchetto
@petemarchetto.bsky.social
· Nov 22
Free sampler ebook, (with details of how to pay me at the end if you feel like it): 'Love Sideways', 3 unromantic romances.
petemarchetto290688881.wordpress.com
petemarchetto290688881.wordpress.com
Reposted by Pete Marchetto
Meet Hannah Spencer - Green MP candidate for Gorton and Denton, and the only vote to stop Reform.
February 10, 2026 at 6:02 PM
Meet Hannah Spencer - Green MP candidate for Gorton and Denton, and the only vote to stop Reform.
Weird watch. The time is always ten past ten.
Why The New Tiffany Paillonne’ Enamel Watch Is A Watchmaking Anomaly
Why The New Tiffany Paillonne’ Enamel Watch Is A Watchmaking Anomaly
Tiffany & Co.'s rich history and expertise in jewelry making brings clarity and design richness to its timepieces, as in the new Tiffany & Co. Enamel watch.
www.forbes.com
February 10, 2026 at 3:51 PM
Weird watch. The time is always ten past ten.
Reform invites itself to star in a Q&A session hosted by a student debating society. When the debating society says no, they threaten to cut off funding for the entire university if elected.
www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politic...
www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politic...
Reform UK threatens to cut Welsh university's funding if it's elected
Reform UK threatened to cut Bangor University's funding after it wasn't invited to a debate
www.walesonline.co.uk
February 10, 2026 at 2:44 PM
Reform invites itself to star in a Q&A session hosted by a student debating society. When the debating society says no, they threaten to cut off funding for the entire university if elected.
www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politic...
www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politic...
Interesting.
Miliband trotted out for the Today Programme 8.10 (actually a bit later) interview. I've barely - if at all - heard from him as a chosen representative. I've barely - if at all - heard the use of the term 'inequality' used liberally this morning. I wonder if Starmer does now intend...
Miliband trotted out for the Today Programme 8.10 (actually a bit later) interview. I've barely - if at all - heard from him as a chosen representative. I've barely - if at all - heard the use of the term 'inequality' used liberally this morning. I wonder if Starmer does now intend...
February 10, 2026 at 8:35 AM
Interesting.
Miliband trotted out for the Today Programme 8.10 (actually a bit later) interview. I've barely - if at all - heard from him as a chosen representative. I've barely - if at all - heard the use of the term 'inequality' used liberally this morning. I wonder if Starmer does now intend...
Miliband trotted out for the Today Programme 8.10 (actually a bit later) interview. I've barely - if at all - heard from him as a chosen representative. I've barely - if at all - heard the use of the term 'inequality' used liberally this morning. I wonder if Starmer does now intend...
Reposted by Pete Marchetto
How access journalism works.
Every political editor/correspondent falls in love with the SpAd who provides them with scoops.
Until, inevitably with McBride/Timothy/Cummings/McSweeney, the SpAd's demise becomes the next scoop.
Rinse and repeat.
Ad nauseam
Every political editor/correspondent falls in love with the SpAd who provides them with scoops.
Until, inevitably with McBride/Timothy/Cummings/McSweeney, the SpAd's demise becomes the next scoop.
Rinse and repeat.
Ad nauseam
February 9, 2026 at 9:28 PM
How access journalism works.
Every political editor/correspondent falls in love with the SpAd who provides them with scoops.
Until, inevitably with McBride/Timothy/Cummings/McSweeney, the SpAd's demise becomes the next scoop.
Rinse and repeat.
Ad nauseam
Every political editor/correspondent falls in love with the SpAd who provides them with scoops.
Until, inevitably with McBride/Timothy/Cummings/McSweeney, the SpAd's demise becomes the next scoop.
Rinse and repeat.
Ad nauseam
Oops.
Russia attacks its own electrical substation
An out-of-control air defense missile scores a direct hit on a critical 750 kV electrical substation near Bryansk city in Russia.
malcontentnews.substack.com/p/russia-att...
An out-of-control air defense missile scores a direct hit on a critical 750 kV electrical substation near Bryansk city in Russia.
malcontentnews.substack.com/p/russia-att...
Russia attacks its own electrical substation
An out-of-control air defense missile scores a direct hit on a critical 750 kV electrical substation near Bryansk city in Russia.
malcontentnews.substack.com
February 9, 2026 at 9:11 PM
Oops.
Just posting a bit of ancient history here for no apparent reason.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-poli...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-poli...
Boris Johnson: Ministers rally round PM as he faces calls to quit
Boris Johnson is under pressure to go after admitting attending a drinks party during lockdown.
www.bbc.co.uk
February 9, 2026 at 6:57 PM
Just posting a bit of ancient history here for no apparent reason.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-poli...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-poli...
Okay. This may blow up my theory that Sarwar's intention was to put clear water between Scottish Labour and the shitshow in Westminster. Even if that was the intention, he didn't roll the pitch sufficiently.
Sarwar looks isolated after rounding on Starmer to save Scottish Labour’s election campaign www.holyrood.com/comment/view...
www.holyrood.com
February 9, 2026 at 6:54 PM
Okay. This may blow up my theory that Sarwar's intention was to put clear water between Scottish Labour and the shitshow in Westminster. Even if that was the intention, he didn't roll the pitch sufficiently.
I may be reading too much into this, but Rayner's statement feels loaded to me.
The lessons in the first para. Which lessons? Boys' club bad? Alignment with an unhealthy faction? These are lessons that could be learned.
A warning against 'factional games' in the second para, and achievements...
The lessons in the first para. Which lessons? Boys' club bad? Alignment with an unhealthy faction? These are lessons that could be learned.
A warning against 'factional games' in the second para, and achievements...
February 9, 2026 at 6:32 PM
I may be reading too much into this, but Rayner's statement feels loaded to me.
The lessons in the first para. Which lessons? Boys' club bad? Alignment with an unhealthy faction? These are lessons that could be learned.
A warning against 'factional games' in the second para, and achievements...
The lessons in the first para. Which lessons? Boys' club bad? Alignment with an unhealthy faction? These are lessons that could be learned.
A warning against 'factional games' in the second para, and achievements...
Moral: Never date a woman with tongs.
February 9, 2026 at 5:42 PM
Moral: Never date a woman with tongs.
Reminded of this again, I had to repost it.
www.youtube.com/shorts/kL6Bk...
www.youtube.com/shorts/kL6Bk...
Lee Anderson reveals his son’s ‘absolutely shocking’ life-changing university decision #GBNews
YouTube video by GBNews
www.youtube.com
February 9, 2026 at 5:31 PM
Reminded of this again, I had to repost it.
www.youtube.com/shorts/kL6Bk...
www.youtube.com/shorts/kL6Bk...
And there I was thinking Bluesky lists existed solely for the passive-aggressive act of labelling someone as distasteful before blocking them.
My sincere thanks to @zoroastrian.bsky.social Zoroastrian for restoring my faith in human nature.
My sincere thanks to @zoroastrian.bsky.social Zoroastrian for restoring my faith in human nature.
February 9, 2026 at 5:14 PM
And there I was thinking Bluesky lists existed solely for the passive-aggressive act of labelling someone as distasteful before blocking them.
My sincere thanks to @zoroastrian.bsky.social Zoroastrian for restoring my faith in human nature.
My sincere thanks to @zoroastrian.bsky.social Zoroastrian for restoring my faith in human nature.
Relocate the government to Truro.
I can't see any other way to get investment down here.
I can't see any other way to get investment down here.
'They want £40bn to rebuild Parliament? Just let the damn place rot'
The Mandelson scandal has revealed a democracy so broken and a politics so toxic it isn’t worth saving. The entire system of British government needs dismantled and rebuilt from the ground up
My @heraldscotland.bsky.social column
The Mandelson scandal has revealed a democracy so broken and a politics so toxic it isn’t worth saving. The entire system of British government needs dismantled and rebuilt from the ground up
My @heraldscotland.bsky.social column
'The politician worth trusting does not yet exist'
The Mandelson scandal has revealed a democracy so broken and a politics so toxic that it isn’t worth saving, argues our Writer at Large
www.heraldscotland.com
February 9, 2026 at 5:03 PM
Relocate the government to Truro.
I can't see any other way to get investment down here.
I can't see any other way to get investment down here.
Spot on.
Many people on this platform just aren't getting it.
The jig is up.
The party's over.
Unless Labour MPs eject Starmer PDQ, recover Labour values, show how they'll fix our chronic problems, give us hope and inspiration instead of disappointment and frustration, they're finished.
No more denial. ⏰👃☕
The jig is up.
The party's over.
Unless Labour MPs eject Starmer PDQ, recover Labour values, show how they'll fix our chronic problems, give us hope and inspiration instead of disappointment and frustration, they're finished.
No more denial. ⏰👃☕
February 9, 2026 at 4:32 PM
Spot on.
Unsurprising.
All the talk in Westminster has been about waiting for May and a seemingly inevitable crash-and-burn to justify a leadership challenge.
It ignores the passengers in that crash, and Sarwar would be one.
English disdain for Scotland and Wales.
Again.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUGr...
All the talk in Westminster has been about waiting for May and a seemingly inevitable crash-and-burn to justify a leadership challenge.
It ignores the passengers in that crash, and Sarwar would be one.
English disdain for Scotland and Wales.
Again.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUGr...
LIVE | House Of Commons as Sarwar tells Starmer to Resign
YouTube video by Daily Record
www.youtube.com
February 9, 2026 at 4:08 PM
Unsurprising.
All the talk in Westminster has been about waiting for May and a seemingly inevitable crash-and-burn to justify a leadership challenge.
It ignores the passengers in that crash, and Sarwar would be one.
English disdain for Scotland and Wales.
Again.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUGr...
All the talk in Westminster has been about waiting for May and a seemingly inevitable crash-and-burn to justify a leadership challenge.
It ignores the passengers in that crash, and Sarwar would be one.
English disdain for Scotland and Wales.
Again.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUGr...
I'm sufficiently cynical now to believe that any such report would be very rapidly processed if it opened with 'My Rolls got a puncture'.
I’m pleased the Council has now assured me repairs will be carried out imminently, but this should have been dealt with sooner. I’ll keep pressing for proper funding so councils can fix roads properly.
Report potholes here: t.co/cnMjgXaqjI
Report potholes here: t.co/cnMjgXaqjI
February 9, 2026 at 2:55 PM
I'm sufficiently cynical now to believe that any such report would be very rapidly processed if it opened with 'My Rolls got a puncture'.
We need to find this man and make him Prime Minister.
February 9, 2026 at 2:31 PM
We need to find this man and make him Prime Minister.
Another rant.
What you call 'centre left' is neoliberalism. That is the failed project of the past 45 years that has led to the decline that we see today.
Labour is nothing if it is not a social democratic party. Neoliberalism does not serve labour interests.
It has gone barely remarked, but Labour has...
Labour is nothing if it is not a social democratic party. Neoliberalism does not serve labour interests.
It has gone barely remarked, but Labour has...
February 9, 2026 at 12:51 PM
Another rant.
On Starmer supporters.
... clearly is; a caretaker of the status quo. That cuts to the heart of their self-deception.
February 9, 2026 at 12:09 PM
On Starmer supporters.
Thus demonstrating, once again, that when your project is to maintain the status quo while insisting you're delivering change, you have a difficult sell on your hands and they've yet to discover the comms genius who can make stasis look like dynamism.
Starmer tells No 10 staff politics can be 'force for good' and says government moving forward 'with confidence' - www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...
Starmer’s head of communications Tim Allan says he is leaving ‘to allow new No 10 team to be built’ – UK politics live
Director of communications at Downing St steps down a day after resignation of prime minister’s chief of staff
www.theguardian.com
February 9, 2026 at 12:00 PM
Thus demonstrating, once again, that when your project is to maintain the status quo while insisting you're delivering change, you have a difficult sell on your hands and they've yet to discover the comms genius who can make stasis look like dynamism.
Another of my long rambles. There IS a Starmer project. And we can see it. We just need to acknowledge what it is.
I think it's so much simpler.
Labour Together is funded by interests vested in the status quo. Quite content with the environment they have, they want no significant change. All they want is for the gravy train to stay on the tracks.
That leaves Starmer's Labour with little room for...
Labour Together is funded by interests vested in the status quo. Quite content with the environment they have, they want no significant change. All they want is for the gravy train to stay on the tracks.
That leaves Starmer's Labour with little room for...
February 9, 2026 at 11:50 AM
Another of my long rambles. There IS a Starmer project. And we can see it. We just need to acknowledge what it is.
Bust of Elon Musk.
I have visions of some archaeologist digging this up in 3,000 years' time.
'Yeah... don't think we'll bother with this civilisation, people. Back to the Greeks...'
I have visions of some archaeologist digging this up in 3,000 years' time.
'Yeah... don't think we'll bother with this civilisation, people. Back to the Greeks...'
February 8, 2026 at 10:06 PM
Bust of Elon Musk.
I have visions of some archaeologist digging this up in 3,000 years' time.
'Yeah... don't think we'll bother with this civilisation, people. Back to the Greeks...'
I have visions of some archaeologist digging this up in 3,000 years' time.
'Yeah... don't think we'll bother with this civilisation, people. Back to the Greeks...'